Mortal Kombat: Deception Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

Published: Jan 8, 2004

Kombat Tips

CONTROLS

ABBRV.

PS2

XBOX

Attack 1

A1

SQUARE

X

Attack 2

A2

TRIANGLE

Y

Attack 3

A3

X

A

Attack 4

A4

CIRCLE

B

Stance Switch

ST

L1

L

Throw

TH

R1

BLACK

Block

BL

R2

R

Weapon Grab

WG

L2

WHITE

OFFENSE

At least half of a good Mortal Kombat game play requires an outstanding offense, but just knowing
your character's best combos won't ensure mastery of the big O. It takes smart play and variety to keep your
opponents guessing—and guessing is exactly what you want them to do.

Don't rely
on special moves.Though each character's special moves are pretty cool to watch, it's not a good idea to just throw them out
and hope for them to score your damage. Just about every special move will leave you vulnerable to a
counter-attack (or combo) if you miss or get blocked. Check out the individual kombatant
strategies for character-specific tips on when to use specials...and when not to.

Some characters have moves that are safer than others, while other characters have moves that should
just not be used. Toy around with the special moves and see which ones have the least delay
afterwards—though you still can't rely on them to do all your dirty work, they'll definitely be the
safest and most helpful.

Apply pressure both high and low.Almost all of your combos will start with high attacks which are easily ducked under. And while it's
important to land damaging combos, you can't just run around throwing high attacks all day and not expect to
get punished. Mix up your high attacks with low strike pokes, and find moves that will hit "mid" on opponents.
Mid hits will hit a crouching opponent who is blocking, forcing your opponent to stand back up to block. When
they get used to that and start standing, make use of your high attacks and throws to keep the pressure
on.

Stay
mobile.Side-stepping can be both a defensive and offensive tool. Using side-steps, you'll be able to maneuver
yourself around your opponent's attacks to line yourself up for a combo of your own. If you move only within a
two-dimensional plane, you'll have a hard time breaking through your opponent's flurries to land an attack of
your own.

Staying constantly on the move will also ensure that you don't play into your opponent's trap. Smart
players will try to push you towards environmental hazards, but stay mobile and they won't be able to.

Position yourself wisely.The fighting arenas you'll visit are littered with death traps and environmental hazards, and you
definitely don't want to get caught in them! Quite the opposite, of course—you want to position your
opponent so that he's in danger of getting kicked back into a dangerous environmental hazard. To do so, make
sure your opponent's back is to the hazard at all times, and pressure him to retreat. Certain characters can
even use teleport moves to make this easier. Back yourself up against a hazard, and teleport behind your
opponent to reverse the roles.

DEFENSE

The other half of Mortal Kombat mastery is a solid defense, and that requires more than just being
able to hold the block button. Here are some general tips to keeping up your defenses, but remember this
classic maxim: A good offense is the best defense.

Block low!Whether your opponent is a combo veteran or a scrubby newbie, chances are that they're going to focus
primarily on high attacks. Crouching will let you duck under all high attacks and pop back up for a
counter-combo when they've ended their string of whiffed attacks.

Ration your breakers.You only get three breakers per fight, and you need to make the best of them. Don't use breakers for
general defense—instead, keep them in stock until your opponent launches into a nasty juggle combo. To
even further maximize their affect, save them for pivotal moments in a fight. If you're winning running away
with the round, don't waste a breaker when your opponent scores a lucky combo. Save it for when you
really need to make sure you've always got one when it counts.